This week I've been reading "When Heaven Invades the Earth" by Bill Johnson. It's a MUST read for those of are hungry for more of God. As Pastor Johnson shares his insight on God's love and plan for mankind, it caused me to think...."Why did God send Jesus in the Earth?" Of course we're all familiar with John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." But what does that really mean to each of us personally?
As a parent, the thought of giving a sacrificing a child is unthinkable, but certainly not a beloved child with whom I am well pleased. What would make me sacrifice my child? Only a love that is beyond human comprehension could cause a parent to offer his/her child as a sacrifice. It's clear that God loves Jesus and is well pleased with Him, but yet He offers Him up for what? For you, for me, for every person that ever was and ever will be. God Almighty Creator of all loves each of us so passionately, so extravagantly that He took what was most precious to Him (Jesus) and offered Him as a sacrifice to redeem our right to know God not as just Creator, but as Father!
You heard me right, God Almighty desires for each of us to know Him intimately. We say things like, "God moves in mysterious ways," but His ways are only mysterious because we don't know Him. I mean don't get me wrong, we know a lot about God. We have access to more information than ever before, but reading about someone doesn't make you know them. Case in point, I can read a book about Barak Obama or Sarah Palin and gather tons of information, but I still don't know them. Unfortunately, too many believers engage God and His Word like we are gathering facts to write a report. When we do this we miss out what it means to really know Him intimately.
God is not hiding from us, but often we are running from Him. We love God, but we fear Him, like the children of Israel we want to see His provision and His miracles, but we run from His presence. Why? Because we know that in His presence we are changed! As we begin to cry out to God to know Him (not just know about Him), He by His Holy Spirit begins to reveal the things in our hearts that keep us separated from Him. To our flesh it's easier to just know about Him because we can avoid the pain of the change that intimacy with a Holy God requires. But if we choose that path we miss out of the reason that Jesus was born, died and resurrected: INTIMACY WITH GOD!
What makes Christianity different from every other religion? First it's not a religion no matter who says it is. It's an invitation into a loving relationship with the God of the Ages. Second, our God offers us an open invitation to know Him intimately as HE abides in us through the Precious Holy Spirit. Until we come to know Him by allowing Him to abide in us and give us personal experiences with Him, we will always question whether He still heals or is willing to heal. We will struggle to love Him with our whole hearts and never come close to loving others as ourselves. We will miss out on the privilege to sit in the lap of God Almighty and know what's in His heart.
Sounds like we are at a point of decision...Keep going as we are collecting facts about God but never experiencing Him or push pass the safety net of religion and dare to experience Him as He always planned? Obviously the choice is yours, but no this...every moment of your life you have an OPEN INVITATION!
Friday, December 11, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
My prayer for you!
Father,
I pray for every person that will read this prayer. Give us a desire to know You and not just know about You. By Your Spirit draw us closer to You! Transform us into the Image of Your Dear Son, Jesus!
Help us to love You more than we love our own lives.
Help us to love others as much as we love ourselves.
Help us to use our resources to build your kingdom and not our own.
Help us to flee sin instead of making excuses for it.
Help us to win the lost instead of leaving the responsibility to another.
Help us to use our talents, skills and abilities for Your Glory.
Help us to love what You love and hate what You hate.
Help us to forgive those who least deserve it as You forgive us.
Help us to love Your Word and rightly discern it.
Help us to obey as an act of love.
Help us to please You!
Help us to want You even when we don't want you!
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
Pass this on to a friend!
I pray for every person that will read this prayer. Give us a desire to know You and not just know about You. By Your Spirit draw us closer to You! Transform us into the Image of Your Dear Son, Jesus!
Help us to love You more than we love our own lives.
Help us to love others as much as we love ourselves.
Help us to use our resources to build your kingdom and not our own.
Help us to flee sin instead of making excuses for it.
Help us to win the lost instead of leaving the responsibility to another.
Help us to use our talents, skills and abilities for Your Glory.
Help us to love what You love and hate what You hate.
Help us to forgive those who least deserve it as You forgive us.
Help us to love Your Word and rightly discern it.
Help us to obey as an act of love.
Help us to please You!
Help us to want You even when we don't want you!
In Jesus' Name,
Amen
Pass this on to a friend!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Hi!
I just want to thank all of you who take the time to read the blog! I pray that it inspires and challenges you to know God and pursue Him daily! Many of you email me personally and I appreicate it so much! But I know that others would be encouraged by your comments so please share some of your comments on the blog so others can read them. Finally, please pass this blog on to someone you know who might enjoy it!
Thanks!
Have a fabulous day!
Thanks!
Have a fabulous day!
Respond Radically!
When the religious leaders asked Jesus what was the greatest commandment, He responded, "To love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul and mind. And the second is just as important to love thy neighbor as thyself." To love someone with everything you have is to love radically! Why does God ask for that? Because it's the type of love He gives us. He displayed the extremeness of His love for mankind when He sent His beloved Son as the payment for the sins of the world. As Christians we graciously and happily receive His gift, but yet we sometimes struggle to respond in the same manner.
This love life that God has called us to outrageous! It calls for us to love God with every fiber of our being and to love our enemies, the unlovable and those without the ability to love us back just as we would love ourselves. Sounds impossible, doesn't it? It is for a natural man, but according to Romans 5:5, this same love that God shows to us has been placed in our heart by His Holy Spirit. In other words, HE has downloaded the ability to love radically in the hearts of every believer. So the question is no longer, can we love like that, but will we?
This love causes us to give to others even when it hurts or causes our discomfort. It demands that we keep praying, keep reaching out and keep responding the hurts of humanity even when we'd rather just put a good movie in and ignore all the drama. For God, loving radically is not optional, it's a commandment. In 1 John, He tells us that without this love, we don't even belong to Him! How sad it would be to spend your life going to church doing the "right" things only to discover you had neglected what was most important: cultivating and sharing God's radical love.
Matthew 25 tells us how serious love is for God. There are people who stand before Jesus and He tells them that He never knew them. Why? Because when they saw the hungry, they refused to feed them. They saw needs and refused to meet them because they were consumed with meeting their own needs. Jesus tells those people who lived selfishlessly to depart from Him b/c He doesn't know them. In other words, they had no love and you can't have Jesus without having love b/c He is LOVE!
Often when someone challenges us to give up more for God, we are quick to say, "It doesn't take all that", but scripture after scripture tells us that it does indeed take all that! God isn't asking for what we can spare....He's asking for it all!
What's the last radical thing you've done for God? When's the last time you've been out of your comfort zone to respond to the needs of another? When's the last time you shared the gospel with someone who wasn't already saved? No matter what you've been told, these things aren't suggestions from God, but commandments!
"If you love Me, keep my commandments." The greatest commandment is love...are you responding radically with love? I challenge you to pray for a heart to love like God does and for opportunities to respond radically with love to someone daily!
This love life that God has called us to outrageous! It calls for us to love God with every fiber of our being and to love our enemies, the unlovable and those without the ability to love us back just as we would love ourselves. Sounds impossible, doesn't it? It is for a natural man, but according to Romans 5:5, this same love that God shows to us has been placed in our heart by His Holy Spirit. In other words, HE has downloaded the ability to love radically in the hearts of every believer. So the question is no longer, can we love like that, but will we?
This love causes us to give to others even when it hurts or causes our discomfort. It demands that we keep praying, keep reaching out and keep responding the hurts of humanity even when we'd rather just put a good movie in and ignore all the drama. For God, loving radically is not optional, it's a commandment. In 1 John, He tells us that without this love, we don't even belong to Him! How sad it would be to spend your life going to church doing the "right" things only to discover you had neglected what was most important: cultivating and sharing God's radical love.
Matthew 25 tells us how serious love is for God. There are people who stand before Jesus and He tells them that He never knew them. Why? Because when they saw the hungry, they refused to feed them. They saw needs and refused to meet them because they were consumed with meeting their own needs. Jesus tells those people who lived selfishlessly to depart from Him b/c He doesn't know them. In other words, they had no love and you can't have Jesus without having love b/c He is LOVE!
Often when someone challenges us to give up more for God, we are quick to say, "It doesn't take all that", but scripture after scripture tells us that it does indeed take all that! God isn't asking for what we can spare....He's asking for it all!
What's the last radical thing you've done for God? When's the last time you've been out of your comfort zone to respond to the needs of another? When's the last time you shared the gospel with someone who wasn't already saved? No matter what you've been told, these things aren't suggestions from God, but commandments!
"If you love Me, keep my commandments." The greatest commandment is love...are you responding radically with love? I challenge you to pray for a heart to love like God does and for opportunities to respond radically with love to someone daily!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Are you lukewarm?
I'm going to share a couple quotes with you from a book I'm reading called, "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. As you read this quote, I want you to examine only yourself...not your friends, family, co-workers or fellow church members. Just ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you, where you fit in this.
I think it's so easy to blame the problems of the church on each other, but truth is we are each a part of the church. We often use the faults of others as excuses for our behavior when the only standard for our lives always has been and always will be Jesus. I believe that God is challenging each of us to allow ourselves to be transformed into His image as we learn to die to ourselves and embrace Jesus. Often our obedience is to avoid penalties or consequences which is why it's either grievous or short lived. God has invited us to know his extravegant and unending love and then poured that same love in us through His Holy Spirit.
It's so easy to get caught up in things that don't really matter and forget what's important. Here's the deal...Jesus is the star of this movie and we are merely extras! Now let's praise God that He treats us "extras" as royalty pouring out the very same love, favor and provision He has for Jesus. Often we forget that He created us....we didn't make Him up to serve our needs and fulfill our every wish. He's not a genie...He's God Almighty and what's more HE has chosen each of us have an intimate relationship with Him. Through Christ we have access to God! But yet we often choose the comforts of maintaing our control and fitting in over the adventure of truly walking with God.
Here are the quotes...
"Lukewarm people don't really want to be saved from their sin; they only want to be saved from the penalty of their sin. They don't genuinely hate sin and aren't truly sorry for it; they are merely sorry because God is going to punish them. Lukewarm people don't really believe that this new life Jesus offers is better than the old sinful life."
"Lukewarm people tend to choose what's is popular over what is right when they are in conflict. They desire to fit in both at church and outside of church; they care more about what people think about thie actions (like church attendance and giving) than what God thinks about their hearts and lives."
"Lukewarm people rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers or friends. They do not want to be rejected, nor do they want to make people uncomfortable by talking about private issues like religion."
"Lukewarm people say they love Jesus, and He is, indeed a part of their lives. But only a part. They give Him a section of their time, their money and their thoughts, but He isn't allowed to control their lives."
"Lukewarm people are continually concerned with playing it safe; they are slaves to the god of control. This focus on safe living keeps them from sacfrificing and risking for God."
So.....are you lukewarm? Let me hear from you.....
You should order this book...it will challenge you to give everything to God and live the way He intended you to.
http://www.crazylovebook.com/ check out the site!!!!
I think it's so easy to blame the problems of the church on each other, but truth is we are each a part of the church. We often use the faults of others as excuses for our behavior when the only standard for our lives always has been and always will be Jesus. I believe that God is challenging each of us to allow ourselves to be transformed into His image as we learn to die to ourselves and embrace Jesus. Often our obedience is to avoid penalties or consequences which is why it's either grievous or short lived. God has invited us to know his extravegant and unending love and then poured that same love in us through His Holy Spirit.
It's so easy to get caught up in things that don't really matter and forget what's important. Here's the deal...Jesus is the star of this movie and we are merely extras! Now let's praise God that He treats us "extras" as royalty pouring out the very same love, favor and provision He has for Jesus. Often we forget that He created us....we didn't make Him up to serve our needs and fulfill our every wish. He's not a genie...He's God Almighty and what's more HE has chosen each of us have an intimate relationship with Him. Through Christ we have access to God! But yet we often choose the comforts of maintaing our control and fitting in over the adventure of truly walking with God.
Here are the quotes...
"Lukewarm people don't really want to be saved from their sin; they only want to be saved from the penalty of their sin. They don't genuinely hate sin and aren't truly sorry for it; they are merely sorry because God is going to punish them. Lukewarm people don't really believe that this new life Jesus offers is better than the old sinful life."
"Lukewarm people tend to choose what's is popular over what is right when they are in conflict. They desire to fit in both at church and outside of church; they care more about what people think about thie actions (like church attendance and giving) than what God thinks about their hearts and lives."
"Lukewarm people rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers or friends. They do not want to be rejected, nor do they want to make people uncomfortable by talking about private issues like religion."
"Lukewarm people say they love Jesus, and He is, indeed a part of their lives. But only a part. They give Him a section of their time, their money and their thoughts, but He isn't allowed to control their lives."
"Lukewarm people are continually concerned with playing it safe; they are slaves to the god of control. This focus on safe living keeps them from sacfrificing and risking for God."
So.....are you lukewarm? Let me hear from you.....
You should order this book...it will challenge you to give everything to God and live the way He intended you to.
http://www.crazylovebook.com/ check out the site!!!!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
God Encounters - Revealing Sandcastles
Have you ever been walking through life minding your own business and all of sudden God shows you something that "jacks you up?" I must admit it's happened to me on a couple of occasions and I guess I should be use to it by now, but somehow I'm not. Over the last couple of weeks, I've been in that place. A place where God reveals something to me about how I think that is so contrary to how He thinks that it leaves me overwhelmed by the majesty of who He is.
It started with these words, "I am taking you out of the box and when I'm finished you will never fit in that box again, even if you try." Immediately, I begin searching my mind for things I would consider boxes, but then I went about my day of being a wife, mother, pastor, friend and PTA president. A couple of days later, I heard, "I am not calling you to bondage, but to freedom." Right after He spoke to me, the phone rang; someone in my life needed me so I put His Words aside to take the call. A few more days passed and I read a story about a woman named Anna who visits heaven. While Anna is there, she meets an angel named Crystal Clear who invites her to play. As they walk along the beach, Crystal Clear says, "Haven't you always wanted to build a sandcastle?" Anna laughs and says, "I don't think I have." Crystal Clear says, "Sure you have...you want to build a life on earth and all of earth is sand." OUCH! I like Anna gain a revelation that is crystal clear...just because something is noble or good...doesn't mean it's God.
For the last several days, I have prayerfully brought every area of my life under the microscope of the Holy Spirit. The thought of spending my life building things that God considers a waste of time is really more than I can bear. During this time, the Holy Spirit reminded me that God's greatest desire is develop the nature of Christ in each of us so that we can experience true fellowship with Him. He challenged me to stop comparing myself today with the "old me" and reminded me that Christ always has been and will always be the standard...can I say OUCH again? He asked me many questions, "Why do I pastor, parent or counsel?" Do I do what I do because it's comfortable...did I choose it or did He? He reminded me that everything I do should be out of my love for Him, not a sense of obligation or an expecation of reward...He is my Reward!
He also told me that true freedom is found in being who HE created me to be, not who I am most comfortable being. I realized that it so easy to get caught up "doing" life that you forget to choose LIFE (Jesus) and while you love Him, you aren't cultivating the relationship. It's even easier to look to Jesus for a way out of our pain and discomfort without looking to give Him our life to do with as He chooses. We want our needs met, but we don't want offer any real commitment...we want the benefits of His sacrifice without offering our own.
Just because we go to church, read our bibles and say the right things doesn't mean we aren't building on sand. Are we doing our list of righteous acts because we truly love Jesus and desire Him above all or because we're finally tired of the pain we reap when we do things our own way? What do we value most? Jesus or the benefits we get from being with him....like healing, favor, promotion? How many times has God asked us to make adjustments in our lives, but we respond by telling Him all we need to accomplish? Until our number one motivation for life is LIFE (Jesus) we will be stuck building in the sand.
Here's one of the most recent things He said, "I'm not against fun and adventure. I'm the author of fun, but the fun and satisfaction of the flesh (means doing things our way instead of knowing and following His way) always results in the death of our fellowship. There are things that I desire to show you, to show all of my children that are beyond your imagination...if you would just stop building sandcastles I could show you real adventure and real life."
I'm always amazed that an Almighty God desires to have such close fellowship with me. Even when I am building sandcastles He longs to show me things of eternal value. I must admit be jacked up by God is overwhelming, but I'm always glad He cares enough to do it!
As brothers and sisters in Christ why don't we challenge ourselves and each other to make sure that what we esteem and hold dear with what God values as well? Is there anyone else out there who through playing with sand?
If the Lord is talking to you about any of this...please share! We would love to hear from you! Love you!
It started with these words, "I am taking you out of the box and when I'm finished you will never fit in that box again, even if you try." Immediately, I begin searching my mind for things I would consider boxes, but then I went about my day of being a wife, mother, pastor, friend and PTA president. A couple of days later, I heard, "I am not calling you to bondage, but to freedom." Right after He spoke to me, the phone rang; someone in my life needed me so I put His Words aside to take the call. A few more days passed and I read a story about a woman named Anna who visits heaven. While Anna is there, she meets an angel named Crystal Clear who invites her to play. As they walk along the beach, Crystal Clear says, "Haven't you always wanted to build a sandcastle?" Anna laughs and says, "I don't think I have." Crystal Clear says, "Sure you have...you want to build a life on earth and all of earth is sand." OUCH! I like Anna gain a revelation that is crystal clear...just because something is noble or good...doesn't mean it's God.
For the last several days, I have prayerfully brought every area of my life under the microscope of the Holy Spirit. The thought of spending my life building things that God considers a waste of time is really more than I can bear. During this time, the Holy Spirit reminded me that God's greatest desire is develop the nature of Christ in each of us so that we can experience true fellowship with Him. He challenged me to stop comparing myself today with the "old me" and reminded me that Christ always has been and will always be the standard...can I say OUCH again? He asked me many questions, "Why do I pastor, parent or counsel?" Do I do what I do because it's comfortable...did I choose it or did He? He reminded me that everything I do should be out of my love for Him, not a sense of obligation or an expecation of reward...He is my Reward!
He also told me that true freedom is found in being who HE created me to be, not who I am most comfortable being. I realized that it so easy to get caught up "doing" life that you forget to choose LIFE (Jesus) and while you love Him, you aren't cultivating the relationship. It's even easier to look to Jesus for a way out of our pain and discomfort without looking to give Him our life to do with as He chooses. We want our needs met, but we don't want offer any real commitment...we want the benefits of His sacrifice without offering our own.
Just because we go to church, read our bibles and say the right things doesn't mean we aren't building on sand. Are we doing our list of righteous acts because we truly love Jesus and desire Him above all or because we're finally tired of the pain we reap when we do things our own way? What do we value most? Jesus or the benefits we get from being with him....like healing, favor, promotion? How many times has God asked us to make adjustments in our lives, but we respond by telling Him all we need to accomplish? Until our number one motivation for life is LIFE (Jesus) we will be stuck building in the sand.
Here's one of the most recent things He said, "I'm not against fun and adventure. I'm the author of fun, but the fun and satisfaction of the flesh (means doing things our way instead of knowing and following His way) always results in the death of our fellowship. There are things that I desire to show you, to show all of my children that are beyond your imagination...if you would just stop building sandcastles I could show you real adventure and real life."
I'm always amazed that an Almighty God desires to have such close fellowship with me. Even when I am building sandcastles He longs to show me things of eternal value. I must admit be jacked up by God is overwhelming, but I'm always glad He cares enough to do it!
As brothers and sisters in Christ why don't we challenge ourselves and each other to make sure that what we esteem and hold dear with what God values as well? Is there anyone else out there who through playing with sand?
If the Lord is talking to you about any of this...please share! We would love to hear from you! Love you!
Monday, November 9, 2009
A Gift for you
Hey guys,
For the past couple of weeks, the Lord has really impressed upon my to pursue His presence above all. He is constantly reminding me that there is no lack in Him. It can be tempting to get so caught up dealing with cares of life that we forget that Jesus is our live. Last week I taught a message entitled "Who is Jesus to you" where I challenged myself and the partners of our church to really examine our relationship with Christ. I decided to share a clip of that message with you.
http://www.box.net/shared/6khtm6604n/1/34015300/351878854
Is it just me or is it so hard to listen to yourself on audio? LOL! I'm still laughing at myself for a number of reasons. First, I am so southern (I prefer that over country). Second, I preach so hard (I can't help it, I get excited about God. Third, I preach so hard (Really I do...) But in spite of all the things that I don't like about how I sound, I know that the things I shared in the message are life changing and straight from the heart of God.
I believe that God is doing amazing things in the earth and that He's looking for people who will surrender everything to pursue Him. I'm answering the call...I want to be one of those people. Let's not miss out on all God desires to do in the earth being consumed by things that don't last or really matter.
Listen to the clip...you may have to turn the volume down (LOL!), but I believe you will be challenged to look at Jesus in a new and fresh way. Tell me what you think when you finish...did it challenge you to refocus on Jesus? What did God say to you?
I can't wait to hear from you! Have a great day!
For the past couple of weeks, the Lord has really impressed upon my to pursue His presence above all. He is constantly reminding me that there is no lack in Him. It can be tempting to get so caught up dealing with cares of life that we forget that Jesus is our live. Last week I taught a message entitled "Who is Jesus to you" where I challenged myself and the partners of our church to really examine our relationship with Christ. I decided to share a clip of that message with you.
http://www.box.net/shared/6khtm6604n/1/34015300/351878854
Is it just me or is it so hard to listen to yourself on audio? LOL! I'm still laughing at myself for a number of reasons. First, I am so southern (I prefer that over country). Second, I preach so hard (I can't help it, I get excited about God. Third, I preach so hard (Really I do...) But in spite of all the things that I don't like about how I sound, I know that the things I shared in the message are life changing and straight from the heart of God.
I believe that God is doing amazing things in the earth and that He's looking for people who will surrender everything to pursue Him. I'm answering the call...I want to be one of those people. Let's not miss out on all God desires to do in the earth being consumed by things that don't last or really matter.
Listen to the clip...you may have to turn the volume down (LOL!), but I believe you will be challenged to look at Jesus in a new and fresh way. Tell me what you think when you finish...did it challenge you to refocus on Jesus? What did God say to you?
I can't wait to hear from you! Have a great day!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Your Father wants so much more!
“Tell my children to stop pursuing Me for stuff and pursue Me for Me!” He said.
“Is that what we’re doing?” I asked.
“Yes and you will never get my best looking at my hand. Look for my face. I want you to want to know me. I’ve called you into intimate fellowship with me so that I can show you so many things.” He said.
“I’m sorry Lord….I never meant to do that to you.” I said feeling convicted…
“I know you didn’t mean too. Most of my children don’t mean to do it, but they’ve never spent enough time with me to know that providing for their natural needs is my good pleasure. I know what you need before you need and I’ve already provided. But there’s something more than natural needs, I want to show you spiritual things, great things that will amaze you…if you’ll give me a chance.” He said.
It was odd because the Lord seemed a little sad. I had never pictured him as sad before. Even though I was speaking He responded to my thoughts.
“I am sad, my daughter, sad that my children don’t really know me. I’m sad that they run in to my presence with their list of needs and run out as soon as they’ve told me all about them. I’m sad that knowing me is never on that list.”
Immediately my eyes flooded with tears. It was as though I could feel his pain, but it more than pain, it was his desire to have a relationship with each of us. It was an intense longing. In that instant, I made a decision. I wanted to know my Father is the way that He desired to reveal Himself. I was ready for something more.
“I created you because I want family, relationship and intimacy! I don’t want a group of followers who only see me as Creator…I want to be your Father…Your Dad! I want to show you wonderful things that have never been revealed. Occasionally, one of my sons or daughters will become consumed with knowing me and I have the opportunity to show them things that are only a ministry to most others. I’d like to do that for each of my children.”
“I can’t speak for them, but You can do it for me.” I said
Here’s a little secret…The miracle of provision is this, when you abide in me, you have the same life I have. It is a life filled with passion, provision and power. Make me your life and you will never lack and good thing. I will provide for you beyond what you could imagine, but you have to seek my face in order to experience it.”
“Ok so what do I do now?” I asked
“Let me talk to you throughout the day. Spend time in my Word. Expect me to reveal more and more of who I am to you. Take me off of a time schedule, get me out of the box and let’s have an adventure.” He said
“I’d love to!” All of a sudden everything else that once seemed so important seemed insignificant at the thought of knowing my Father, my Dad like never before. I was looking for the adventure.
“Shun, can you do one more thing for me?” He asked
“Yes, Dad, I’ll do anything for you.”
“Tell your brothers and sisters what I’ve shared with you. Tell them I want something more. Tell them I’m waiting.”
This conversation with God impacted my life in ways that I can’t fully explain. What I can tell you is knowing that God desires to have a real relationship with me changed me. It changed my priorities and my perspective. My heart is overflowing with love for Him, for you! He is showing me things, I never knew. I’m praying for you…that you will make a decision to know your Father and go on this great adventure in Him!
“Is that what we’re doing?” I asked.
“Yes and you will never get my best looking at my hand. Look for my face. I want you to want to know me. I’ve called you into intimate fellowship with me so that I can show you so many things.” He said.
“I’m sorry Lord….I never meant to do that to you.” I said feeling convicted…
“I know you didn’t mean too. Most of my children don’t mean to do it, but they’ve never spent enough time with me to know that providing for their natural needs is my good pleasure. I know what you need before you need and I’ve already provided. But there’s something more than natural needs, I want to show you spiritual things, great things that will amaze you…if you’ll give me a chance.” He said.
It was odd because the Lord seemed a little sad. I had never pictured him as sad before. Even though I was speaking He responded to my thoughts.
“I am sad, my daughter, sad that my children don’t really know me. I’m sad that they run in to my presence with their list of needs and run out as soon as they’ve told me all about them. I’m sad that knowing me is never on that list.”
Immediately my eyes flooded with tears. It was as though I could feel his pain, but it more than pain, it was his desire to have a relationship with each of us. It was an intense longing. In that instant, I made a decision. I wanted to know my Father is the way that He desired to reveal Himself. I was ready for something more.
“I created you because I want family, relationship and intimacy! I don’t want a group of followers who only see me as Creator…I want to be your Father…Your Dad! I want to show you wonderful things that have never been revealed. Occasionally, one of my sons or daughters will become consumed with knowing me and I have the opportunity to show them things that are only a ministry to most others. I’d like to do that for each of my children.”
“I can’t speak for them, but You can do it for me.” I said
Here’s a little secret…The miracle of provision is this, when you abide in me, you have the same life I have. It is a life filled with passion, provision and power. Make me your life and you will never lack and good thing. I will provide for you beyond what you could imagine, but you have to seek my face in order to experience it.”
“Ok so what do I do now?” I asked
“Let me talk to you throughout the day. Spend time in my Word. Expect me to reveal more and more of who I am to you. Take me off of a time schedule, get me out of the box and let’s have an adventure.” He said
“I’d love to!” All of a sudden everything else that once seemed so important seemed insignificant at the thought of knowing my Father, my Dad like never before. I was looking for the adventure.
“Shun, can you do one more thing for me?” He asked
“Yes, Dad, I’ll do anything for you.”
“Tell your brothers and sisters what I’ve shared with you. Tell them I want something more. Tell them I’m waiting.”
This conversation with God impacted my life in ways that I can’t fully explain. What I can tell you is knowing that God desires to have a real relationship with me changed me. It changed my priorities and my perspective. My heart is overflowing with love for Him, for you! He is showing me things, I never knew. I’m praying for you…that you will make a decision to know your Father and go on this great adventure in Him!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Who is Jesus to you?
There are many people who acknowledge that Jesus did come to earth. Some consider him a false prophet, while others think that he was one of the great prophets filled with age old wisdom. Here’s what Paul had to say about that:
“For although there may be so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many of them, both of gods and of lords and masters. Yet for us there is only one God, the Father who is the Source of all things and for Whom we have life and one Lord, Jesus Christ by Whom are all things and through and by Whom we ourselves exist.” 1 Corinthians 8:5-6 (amp)
Jesus is Lord to the glory of the Father. There are many Christians who readily accept Jesus as Savior. They acknowledge that through the Cross, He has paid the penalty for sin allowing us to be reconciled to the Father. However, in addition to being our Savior, Jesus is also Lord. As our Lord, we belong to Him and He has the power to decide our lives. Unfortunately, when many people hear the term Lord, it paints negative image in their minds. They believe that the lordship of Jesus is like the lordship of man, but nothing could be further from the truth!
When you and I allow Jesus to decide the course of our lives, the outcome will always be good. Before the foundation of the earth, God charted our course. He wrote the end of our story from the beginning and according to Jeremiah 29:11, it’s a good plan filled with peace and not evil! If you stop and think about it, God could make you serve him. After all He is God Almighty so who would have the power to stop Him? But that’s not the relationship He desires with humanity. He wants us to come to Him in love because we have realized the great love He has shown to us through Christ Jesus.
When Adam and Eve sinned, we lost the ability to enter into the presence of God. We couldn’t have face to face communication with him. Without His presence we lost our power and provision. Many people spend most of their lives working for provision and power without realizing that every need is met when we pursue a relationship with God through Christ.
Let me ask you a few questions, “Do you require the presence of God daily?” Are you okay as long as your needs are met? When you do spend time with God, do you listen to what He has to say or are you just telling him about what you need?
Right now, God is calling you into a love relationship with Him; a place where you seek his face, not just his hand. You may be thinking, “What about all the things I need?” Romans 8:32 tells us that He that did not spare his only Son has freely given us all things. God isn’t calling you and I to spend time with him so that we can go without, but because He knows that it’s only through Him that every need can be met in abundance.
I challenge you to examine your relationship with Christ. Look at the time you spend or don’t spend with Him and make the adjustment necessary. If you do, you will come to appreciate His Lordship in ways you never imagined and discover that Jesus is the best thing that ever happened to you…and me too!
http://www.box.net/index.php?rm=box_v2_mp3_player_shared&shared_name=5dj7ccpseq&node=f_350770712&single_file=1
“For although there may be so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many of them, both of gods and of lords and masters. Yet for us there is only one God, the Father who is the Source of all things and for Whom we have life and one Lord, Jesus Christ by Whom are all things and through and by Whom we ourselves exist.” 1 Corinthians 8:5-6 (amp)
Jesus is Lord to the glory of the Father. There are many Christians who readily accept Jesus as Savior. They acknowledge that through the Cross, He has paid the penalty for sin allowing us to be reconciled to the Father. However, in addition to being our Savior, Jesus is also Lord. As our Lord, we belong to Him and He has the power to decide our lives. Unfortunately, when many people hear the term Lord, it paints negative image in their minds. They believe that the lordship of Jesus is like the lordship of man, but nothing could be further from the truth!
When you and I allow Jesus to decide the course of our lives, the outcome will always be good. Before the foundation of the earth, God charted our course. He wrote the end of our story from the beginning and according to Jeremiah 29:11, it’s a good plan filled with peace and not evil! If you stop and think about it, God could make you serve him. After all He is God Almighty so who would have the power to stop Him? But that’s not the relationship He desires with humanity. He wants us to come to Him in love because we have realized the great love He has shown to us through Christ Jesus.
When Adam and Eve sinned, we lost the ability to enter into the presence of God. We couldn’t have face to face communication with him. Without His presence we lost our power and provision. Many people spend most of their lives working for provision and power without realizing that every need is met when we pursue a relationship with God through Christ.
Let me ask you a few questions, “Do you require the presence of God daily?” Are you okay as long as your needs are met? When you do spend time with God, do you listen to what He has to say or are you just telling him about what you need?
Right now, God is calling you into a love relationship with Him; a place where you seek his face, not just his hand. You may be thinking, “What about all the things I need?” Romans 8:32 tells us that He that did not spare his only Son has freely given us all things. God isn’t calling you and I to spend time with him so that we can go without, but because He knows that it’s only through Him that every need can be met in abundance.
I challenge you to examine your relationship with Christ. Look at the time you spend or don’t spend with Him and make the adjustment necessary. If you do, you will come to appreciate His Lordship in ways you never imagined and discover that Jesus is the best thing that ever happened to you…and me too!
http://www.box.net/index.php?rm=box_v2_mp3_player_shared&shared_name=5dj7ccpseq&node=f_350770712&single_file=1
Friday, October 23, 2009
Spread the Love
Watch this segment of Steve Harvey's interview on TBN with Donnie McClurkin. It serves as a powerful reminder that as Christians God has called us to show his love to others. The foundation of Christianity is God's love displayed through grace. God sent his Son, Jesus to pay a price that mankind could not pay so that each of us might have the opportunity to be reconciled to God through Christ.
There are so many people that we can reach or help grow when we don't sit in judgement. I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't tell people the truth, but the bible says to speak the truth in love. What does it mean to speak the truth in love? It means that I tell you what the Word says because I love you and I truly want to see you be all the you were created to be. It's not my time to make myself feel better because I don't do what you do...It's not a license to attack and judge in the name of truth.
Here's the reality...prayerfully we are better than we use to be, but none of us have arrived. We are all a work in progress continually being transformed into the image of Christ. There are things that I have overcome that you still struggle with, but there are things you have overcome that are a struggle for me. So instead of us criticizing each other, we should help each other to grow in Christ.
Standing out in front of an abortion clinic with signs condemning the mother and physcians to hell, will never touch their hearts and allow them to see that God has another way. In fact, it just causes them to dig their heels in and hold on to their position. Telling people who are homosexual that God hates them will certainly never draw them to God or even allow them to hear our position on God's will for men and women. Spewing hatred in the name of God is just not God. God is LOVE! He hates sin, but not sinners. In fact, Psalm 103 tells us that He has not dealt with after our sins or rewarded us according to inquities. That is the message of grace...we don't get what we deserve. Hallelujah!
There is a parable in the bible where a man (let's call him John) owes a great debt to the king and he has no ability to pay. John throws himself on the mercy of the court and the king has compassion and forgives his debt. The man is free! He leaves the king's presence and runs into a man (we'll call him Dave) who owed him a much smaller about. John badgers Dave about paying. The Message translation says that, John grabs him by the collar. Daves begs for mercy, but John turns a deaf ear and has him thrown in jail. When the king finds out, he is enraged and throws John in jail until he can pay every dime. (See Matthew 18)
I know that most of the time, this scripture is used to talk about the importance of forgiving and having this compassion towards those who have injured us, but if we are required to show mercy towards people who have hurt us, shouldn't we also show mercey toward the person who is struggling with sin? How can we not remember the great mercy God shows towards us even when we aren't getting everything right? I believe that it grieves the heart of God to see us be critical and hateful towards other believers. It seems to be so easy to judge whether someone "really" loves God, when we should remember that this is spiritual warfare and even when people want to change, the enemies fights them hard to stop them. Maybe they haven't been taught; maybe they don't know how to change; maybe they don't want to change. The reality is....we don't know why people struggle with certain sins.
We do know that prayer changes things! We do know that in the times when we have struggled with sin, we didn't need to be kicked and torn down about it, we needed someone who was willing to help us walk through the process until we were free. We also know that Jesus has never torn us down because we didn't change fast enough...He keeps on loving, instructing and leading us into a life of total freedom.
Challenge: If there is anyone in your life that you are judging....put them first on your prayer list. Pray for them before you pray for anyone, including yourself. Ask God to help you see them the way He does. Ask for wisdom to minister to them. It's hard to judge someone when you're seeing them from the eyes of love....
Don't forget to watch the link!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkybh5XwUQk
There are so many people that we can reach or help grow when we don't sit in judgement. I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't tell people the truth, but the bible says to speak the truth in love. What does it mean to speak the truth in love? It means that I tell you what the Word says because I love you and I truly want to see you be all the you were created to be. It's not my time to make myself feel better because I don't do what you do...It's not a license to attack and judge in the name of truth.
Here's the reality...prayerfully we are better than we use to be, but none of us have arrived. We are all a work in progress continually being transformed into the image of Christ. There are things that I have overcome that you still struggle with, but there are things you have overcome that are a struggle for me. So instead of us criticizing each other, we should help each other to grow in Christ.
Standing out in front of an abortion clinic with signs condemning the mother and physcians to hell, will never touch their hearts and allow them to see that God has another way. In fact, it just causes them to dig their heels in and hold on to their position. Telling people who are homosexual that God hates them will certainly never draw them to God or even allow them to hear our position on God's will for men and women. Spewing hatred in the name of God is just not God. God is LOVE! He hates sin, but not sinners. In fact, Psalm 103 tells us that He has not dealt with after our sins or rewarded us according to inquities. That is the message of grace...we don't get what we deserve. Hallelujah!
There is a parable in the bible where a man (let's call him John) owes a great debt to the king and he has no ability to pay. John throws himself on the mercy of the court and the king has compassion and forgives his debt. The man is free! He leaves the king's presence and runs into a man (we'll call him Dave) who owed him a much smaller about. John badgers Dave about paying. The Message translation says that, John grabs him by the collar. Daves begs for mercy, but John turns a deaf ear and has him thrown in jail. When the king finds out, he is enraged and throws John in jail until he can pay every dime. (See Matthew 18)
I know that most of the time, this scripture is used to talk about the importance of forgiving and having this compassion towards those who have injured us, but if we are required to show mercy towards people who have hurt us, shouldn't we also show mercey toward the person who is struggling with sin? How can we not remember the great mercy God shows towards us even when we aren't getting everything right? I believe that it grieves the heart of God to see us be critical and hateful towards other believers. It seems to be so easy to judge whether someone "really" loves God, when we should remember that this is spiritual warfare and even when people want to change, the enemies fights them hard to stop them. Maybe they haven't been taught; maybe they don't know how to change; maybe they don't want to change. The reality is....we don't know why people struggle with certain sins.
We do know that prayer changes things! We do know that in the times when we have struggled with sin, we didn't need to be kicked and torn down about it, we needed someone who was willing to help us walk through the process until we were free. We also know that Jesus has never torn us down because we didn't change fast enough...He keeps on loving, instructing and leading us into a life of total freedom.
Challenge: If there is anyone in your life that you are judging....put them first on your prayer list. Pray for them before you pray for anyone, including yourself. Ask God to help you see them the way He does. Ask for wisdom to minister to them. It's hard to judge someone when you're seeing them from the eyes of love....
Don't forget to watch the link!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkybh5XwUQk
Monday, October 5, 2009
Think Like God Thinks!
One of my favorite scriptures is "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may prove what is the good, perfect and acceptable will of God." (Romans 12:2) I believe that the true reality of how God created mankind to live can only be revealed in our lives when we think like God thinks. Part of thinking like God does involves what not to do, for example, no lying, stealing, cheating, fornication, jealousy, etc. However our lives as Christians never reach the fullness of abundant life when our only focus is what we can't do. Remember we were called out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God's dear Son. Therefore a crucial piece to our new life is how to live in the kingdom.
The kingdom contains many components, but if we had to sum the kingdom up in one word, that word is LOVE. How can I be sure? Because God is love (1 John 4:6). God doesn't have love...He is love. This means that every Word that God has every spoken to you or about you is rooted in his great love for you. Unfortunately most of us have heard far too much about the wrath of God. I'm not saying that God doesn't have wrath, I'm saying that his wrath is against sin....not sinners. I'm saying that His wrath was satisfied through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross for the sins of the world. In other words...God Ain't Mad No More!
I've spent the majority of the year reading the gospels and I've noticed that Jesus never tells anyone to come to God or risk hell. He always responds in compassion even to people who the religious elite (Pharisees and Sadduccees) consider undeserving of compassion. Why? Because Jesus was the expression of God in the earth. He was and continues to be LOVE! Jesus showed so much love by healing, restoring and feeding people that they were drawn into a love relationship with God. The crowds didn't follow Jesus because he threatened punishment, judgment or damnation. They followed because He expressed so much care and concern for each of them that they couldn't stay away! They became curious about a God that didn't respond with wrath, pain and affliction.
When Jesus told the disciples to preach the kingdom...He wasn't telling them to preach hell. He was telling to tell everyone that the breach sin had created had been restored through the Cross. He was saying that every man, woman, boy and girl had a right to have a relationship with God the Creator without fear. After all, how else can you come boldly to the throne to obtain grace unless you know you will encounter God's love and mercy?
Love is the most powerful force ever. It raised Jesus from the dead. The revelation of God's great love for you in spite of your mistakes/sins/transgressions has the power to set you free from every mistake/sin/transgression. You can't live right because you are afraid God will get you. You can't get others to live right because they are afraid of hell. Right living comes from right thinking. Right thinking is knowing that God loves you unconditionally. The more you realize his love, the less desire you have to do anything that's not pleasing to him. Not because you fear hell, but because you never want to be separated from Him.
How do I know this is true? Look at any natural relationship and if there is fear, there will never be transparency. If you were afraid of your parents, you didn't run to them when you were in trouble, you hid it! You tried to find your own way out (which usually didn't work). On the other hand if your parents had created an atmopshere free from fear, you told them every thing and probably avoided a lot of additional trouble.
A religion based on fear forces people to hid their issues and pretend to be something they aren't because they are afraid of God's rejection or punishment. A relationship based on unconditional love allows people to run to God with their issues because they know they will never be rejected and that it's his love that can set them free.
Psalm 103 tells us that God has not dealt with us according to our sin or rewarding us according our inquity. In other words, He's not holding sin against you. He wants you to know his love because it's his love that sets you free from the bondage of sin and allows you to live abundantly.
I encourage you to leave behind the fear of God's rejection and wrath and embark on the freeing journey of knowing His love for you. It will affect every area of your life. It will change how you view Him, yourself and others! As it changes you...it will change the world. Aren't you called to be a world changer? Spread the Love!
The kingdom contains many components, but if we had to sum the kingdom up in one word, that word is LOVE. How can I be sure? Because God is love (1 John 4:6). God doesn't have love...He is love. This means that every Word that God has every spoken to you or about you is rooted in his great love for you. Unfortunately most of us have heard far too much about the wrath of God. I'm not saying that God doesn't have wrath, I'm saying that his wrath is against sin....not sinners. I'm saying that His wrath was satisfied through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross for the sins of the world. In other words...God Ain't Mad No More!
I've spent the majority of the year reading the gospels and I've noticed that Jesus never tells anyone to come to God or risk hell. He always responds in compassion even to people who the religious elite (Pharisees and Sadduccees) consider undeserving of compassion. Why? Because Jesus was the expression of God in the earth. He was and continues to be LOVE! Jesus showed so much love by healing, restoring and feeding people that they were drawn into a love relationship with God. The crowds didn't follow Jesus because he threatened punishment, judgment or damnation. They followed because He expressed so much care and concern for each of them that they couldn't stay away! They became curious about a God that didn't respond with wrath, pain and affliction.
When Jesus told the disciples to preach the kingdom...He wasn't telling them to preach hell. He was telling to tell everyone that the breach sin had created had been restored through the Cross. He was saying that every man, woman, boy and girl had a right to have a relationship with God the Creator without fear. After all, how else can you come boldly to the throne to obtain grace unless you know you will encounter God's love and mercy?
Love is the most powerful force ever. It raised Jesus from the dead. The revelation of God's great love for you in spite of your mistakes/sins/transgressions has the power to set you free from every mistake/sin/transgression. You can't live right because you are afraid God will get you. You can't get others to live right because they are afraid of hell. Right living comes from right thinking. Right thinking is knowing that God loves you unconditionally. The more you realize his love, the less desire you have to do anything that's not pleasing to him. Not because you fear hell, but because you never want to be separated from Him.
How do I know this is true? Look at any natural relationship and if there is fear, there will never be transparency. If you were afraid of your parents, you didn't run to them when you were in trouble, you hid it! You tried to find your own way out (which usually didn't work). On the other hand if your parents had created an atmopshere free from fear, you told them every thing and probably avoided a lot of additional trouble.
A religion based on fear forces people to hid their issues and pretend to be something they aren't because they are afraid of God's rejection or punishment. A relationship based on unconditional love allows people to run to God with their issues because they know they will never be rejected and that it's his love that can set them free.
Psalm 103 tells us that God has not dealt with us according to our sin or rewarding us according our inquity. In other words, He's not holding sin against you. He wants you to know his love because it's his love that sets you free from the bondage of sin and allows you to live abundantly.
I encourage you to leave behind the fear of God's rejection and wrath and embark on the freeing journey of knowing His love for you. It will affect every area of your life. It will change how you view Him, yourself and others! As it changes you...it will change the world. Aren't you called to be a world changer? Spread the Love!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Do you have your BHAGS?
Good Morning!
I promised you strategy today so let’s get after it!
What is strategy? Strategy is a plan, method or series of maneuvers for obtaining a specific goal.
I found several definitions, but here’s the one I like best:
Do you notice that every time we hear about success, victory or change, we also hear about consistency? It’s impossible to get the results we want in any area of life without it. The bible calls it patience. Often people think patience is sitting backing waiting on God, but if you study it out, you will discover patience is a powerful force. It paints the picture of being consistently the same, moving in a certain direction even in the face of great opposition and opportunities to quit. That is not a passive position! It’s a position of power! Consistently enables us to stay the course to get to the end result and then continue to do what’s necessary to stay there once we’ve arrived.
In order for our strategies to work, they have to be something we can implement consistently. For example you can develop a strategy for weight loss that involves working out 90 minutes a day because it will help you accomplish your goal faster. However, if you only have 30 minutes a day to commit to exercise, you can’t consistently work the plan/strategy you’ve established so MAKE SURE YOUR STRATEGY WORKS FOR YOU!
Road Map
A successful strategy should serve as a roadmap or GPS. If I follow the directions, I’ll end up at the location. Have you ever entered an address in the GPS, followed it but ended up at the wrong place? I have and it can be frustrating. Once when we were in Oklahoma City looking for a gym and the GPS mapped it out, but it didn’t know about the construction that was taking place. No matter how many times we followed those instructions, we were never going to get to gym. That’s what it’s like to have a wrong strategy.
We each have strategies for our lives even if they are there by default…meaning it’s a routine we fell into because we failed to develop a strategy. Unfortunately, those strategies get us results, but not the ones we want. If I come home every day, eat dinner and sit in front of the television until bed time, snacking, then my strategy guarantees weight gain even though that’s not what I want. So I have to be mindful of the strategy I’m establishing with my actions.
Ok now that we’ve covered that, let’s look at the Seven Components of an Effective Strategy. As always there could be more and if you think of more add them to the comments so everyone can take advantage of them.
1. Don’t just think it – INK IT! Put it in writing! In the Old Testament, God told one his prophets (Habakkuk) to “write the vision and make it plain so when those who read it could run with it.” Think of it this way…it must be important for you to write your strategy in a manner that’s easy to follow because God said do it! Is it possible that God knows something we don’t? Absolutely! One thing He knows is that writing a vision helps you stay committed and remember why you need to make certain choices.
“Reduce your plan to writing…The moment you complete this, you will have definitely given concrete form to the intangible desire.” Napoleon Hill
2. Dream again – What did you want to be a child? I’m sure you had many plans. You might want to be an artist on Monday, a surgeon on Tuesday and a teacher on Wednesday. Until some (not so helpful) adult told that you couldn’t be all of that. Here’s my question? Who says? Is there something in the Bible that says you have to do the same thing all of your life? Of course not. So it’s ok to have big dreams of doing lots of great things. If you don’t finish them all here, maybe you’ll pick it up in heaven! So dream Big…
3. What’s your BHAG – It stands for “Big Hairy Audacious Goal” Have you heard of it? It’s a term coined by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras in their book, “Built to Last.” They found that the one factor that was common among successful efforts that was missing from unsuccessful efforts was “the use of ambitious, even outrageous goals to motivate people and focus them toward concrete accomplishments.” Bill Gates has been quoted as saying, “if an idea at his company isn’t laughed at least three times then it’s too small.” But I think the most important reason to think BIG is that if you can accomplish it in your strength, then it didn’t come from God. I believe God gives us big dreams so that we can accomplish them together. He gives us a dream and then helps us make it come to pass. We handle the natural (with His wisdom) and He handles the supernatural. It’s those big dreams that change the world or at least your world.
4. Expect to Succeed – Decide what you want to accomplish and focus on that. Don’t spend all of your time focusing on the problems you could encounter. A good strategy will help you navigate the setbacks, but don’t let the fear of failure or the unknown stop you from starting. Trust that God doesn’t give you desires to set you up to fail. He wants you to accomplish them, but you need to believe in what He has placed in you. You must have confidence in what you can accomplish even if no one else does.
5. Bring your dreams into the present – Often the reason our faith doesn’t work is because we keep it in the future. We don’t see it as a present reality. What separates people who finish college from those who don’t? It’s not intelligence…it’s how they see themselves. The moment I started college I saw that degree as mine! It’s how I keep going to school even when there many opportunities to stop. Begin to see yourself at your ideal weight or debt free or whatever you’re dreaming about and watch your life line up.
6. Be sure your goals are YOUR goals – As I’ve told you before a large number of people hate their jobs. Could it be that many of these people selected jobs based on what others (parents, teachers, spouses and friends) expected from them? Maybe they chose what they “should” do instead of what their heart desired. If your goals aren’t really your goals even if you manage to be successful, you will never be fulfilled.
7. Make sure your goals agree with your values – If you are a Christian, those values need to be in line with what God values. But even if you aren’t a Christian, you can’t be successful violating your core values. If you violate the basic values of integrity, treating others right and hard work, it will affect you mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Goals must fit your values, standards and desires. If they don’t I becomes very difficult to remain committed to see it to the end.
Take some time to look at these steps. Ask yourself the tough questions and answer honestly. Write your vision and strategy down, and then follow it. Lastly be committed to your goal, but flexible in your approach. You may have to make modifications along the way, but that’s ok, just keep moving forward asking God to lead you!
I promised you strategy today so let’s get after it!
What is strategy? Strategy is a plan, method or series of maneuvers for obtaining a specific goal.
I found several definitions, but here’s the one I like best:
“A specific way of organizing your resources in order to consistently get a desired result.”
Do you notice that every time we hear about success, victory or change, we also hear about consistency? It’s impossible to get the results we want in any area of life without it. The bible calls it patience. Often people think patience is sitting backing waiting on God, but if you study it out, you will discover patience is a powerful force. It paints the picture of being consistently the same, moving in a certain direction even in the face of great opposition and opportunities to quit. That is not a passive position! It’s a position of power! Consistently enables us to stay the course to get to the end result and then continue to do what’s necessary to stay there once we’ve arrived.
In order for our strategies to work, they have to be something we can implement consistently. For example you can develop a strategy for weight loss that involves working out 90 minutes a day because it will help you accomplish your goal faster. However, if you only have 30 minutes a day to commit to exercise, you can’t consistently work the plan/strategy you’ve established so MAKE SURE YOUR STRATEGY WORKS FOR YOU!
Road Map
A successful strategy should serve as a roadmap or GPS. If I follow the directions, I’ll end up at the location. Have you ever entered an address in the GPS, followed it but ended up at the wrong place? I have and it can be frustrating. Once when we were in Oklahoma City looking for a gym and the GPS mapped it out, but it didn’t know about the construction that was taking place. No matter how many times we followed those instructions, we were never going to get to gym. That’s what it’s like to have a wrong strategy.
We each have strategies for our lives even if they are there by default…meaning it’s a routine we fell into because we failed to develop a strategy. Unfortunately, those strategies get us results, but not the ones we want. If I come home every day, eat dinner and sit in front of the television until bed time, snacking, then my strategy guarantees weight gain even though that’s not what I want. So I have to be mindful of the strategy I’m establishing with my actions.
Ok now that we’ve covered that, let’s look at the Seven Components of an Effective Strategy. As always there could be more and if you think of more add them to the comments so everyone can take advantage of them.
1. Don’t just think it – INK IT! Put it in writing! In the Old Testament, God told one his prophets (Habakkuk) to “write the vision and make it plain so when those who read it could run with it.” Think of it this way…it must be important for you to write your strategy in a manner that’s easy to follow because God said do it! Is it possible that God knows something we don’t? Absolutely! One thing He knows is that writing a vision helps you stay committed and remember why you need to make certain choices.
“Reduce your plan to writing…The moment you complete this, you will have definitely given concrete form to the intangible desire.” Napoleon Hill
2. Dream again – What did you want to be a child? I’m sure you had many plans. You might want to be an artist on Monday, a surgeon on Tuesday and a teacher on Wednesday. Until some (not so helpful) adult told that you couldn’t be all of that. Here’s my question? Who says? Is there something in the Bible that says you have to do the same thing all of your life? Of course not. So it’s ok to have big dreams of doing lots of great things. If you don’t finish them all here, maybe you’ll pick it up in heaven! So dream Big…
3. What’s your BHAG – It stands for “Big Hairy Audacious Goal” Have you heard of it? It’s a term coined by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras in their book, “Built to Last.” They found that the one factor that was common among successful efforts that was missing from unsuccessful efforts was “the use of ambitious, even outrageous goals to motivate people and focus them toward concrete accomplishments.” Bill Gates has been quoted as saying, “if an idea at his company isn’t laughed at least three times then it’s too small.” But I think the most important reason to think BIG is that if you can accomplish it in your strength, then it didn’t come from God. I believe God gives us big dreams so that we can accomplish them together. He gives us a dream and then helps us make it come to pass. We handle the natural (with His wisdom) and He handles the supernatural. It’s those big dreams that change the world or at least your world.
4. Expect to Succeed – Decide what you want to accomplish and focus on that. Don’t spend all of your time focusing on the problems you could encounter. A good strategy will help you navigate the setbacks, but don’t let the fear of failure or the unknown stop you from starting. Trust that God doesn’t give you desires to set you up to fail. He wants you to accomplish them, but you need to believe in what He has placed in you. You must have confidence in what you can accomplish even if no one else does.
5. Bring your dreams into the present – Often the reason our faith doesn’t work is because we keep it in the future. We don’t see it as a present reality. What separates people who finish college from those who don’t? It’s not intelligence…it’s how they see themselves. The moment I started college I saw that degree as mine! It’s how I keep going to school even when there many opportunities to stop. Begin to see yourself at your ideal weight or debt free or whatever you’re dreaming about and watch your life line up.
6. Be sure your goals are YOUR goals – As I’ve told you before a large number of people hate their jobs. Could it be that many of these people selected jobs based on what others (parents, teachers, spouses and friends) expected from them? Maybe they chose what they “should” do instead of what their heart desired. If your goals aren’t really your goals even if you manage to be successful, you will never be fulfilled.
7. Make sure your goals agree with your values – If you are a Christian, those values need to be in line with what God values. But even if you aren’t a Christian, you can’t be successful violating your core values. If you violate the basic values of integrity, treating others right and hard work, it will affect you mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Goals must fit your values, standards and desires. If they don’t I becomes very difficult to remain committed to see it to the end.
Take some time to look at these steps. Ask yourself the tough questions and answer honestly. Write your vision and strategy down, and then follow it. Lastly be committed to your goal, but flexible in your approach. You may have to make modifications along the way, but that’s ok, just keep moving forward asking God to lead you!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Let's get off to a good start!
Hey everybody!
I hope you had a fantastic weekend! I hope you took some time to relax and enjoy your loved ones, but I also hope you made an investment in yourself by spending time identifying the goals that you plan to accomplish in the next year. If you didn’t…it’s not too late! Maybe you could spend your lunch hour or do it before you go to bed tonight. In case you haven’t figured it out, I’m not going to stop talking to you about setting goals and planning because I believe that God has given you the potential to do amazing things and I want to see you do them! Often we can become so focused on what we have to do today that we forget the importance of planning for the future, but if we fail to plan and act we usually end up with a future that looks very different from what we dream about. So stick with the goal planning and make sure you’re taking action steps!
I know I usually only post twice a week, but I just couldn’t wait to blog again because I love hearing how these convesations are challenging you to be all God created you to be! Having dreams is important, but dreams don’t just become reality. Why? Because nothing just happens! We have to turn our dreams into visions. How do you know when a dream has become a vision? In order for dreams to become visions, it must be accompanied by a “strategy” and a “compelling why”.
Let’s look at the “compelling why” first. It's reason that means so much to you that it empowers you to make the right choices.Have you ever wanted to lose weight, needed to lose weight, but failed to take the necessary actions? The primary reason we fail to act when we know we should is that we don’t have a compelling why. Even if we have research and examples to tell us the danger of carry excess weight, until we develop a reason that is bigger than the food we have to give up, we continue down the same path. No one else can give us that, it must come from within, but once we have it, then the how becomes much easier.
Let me give you an example… Every since my last baby (Canaan) who is 3 now, I’ve said I needed to lose weight, but when it came time to make the choices that would cause me to lose weight, I failed to choose correctly. One day I realized that the choices I was making weren’t positioning me to be healthy and active for my grandchildren. That’s the day I got my compelling why. I don’t want to the grandmother who has to take my grandkids to Disney riding a motorized scooter! I want to be able to play and run with them. Once I got the why, the how because easy. Eat less and move more! That happened in April and since then I’ve lost 30lbs. I’ve still got a ways to go, but because I have a reason that is very important to me, eating right and exercising is not nearly as hard as in the past.
If not, spend some time thinking about the last question I asked in “What are you planning?” The question is “What do you lose if you don’t change?”
After a compelling why, you need a strategy. A strategy is simply, “specific ways of organizing your resources in order to consistently get a desired result.” Your resources include your time, your talent, God’s Word, your money, your relationship, etc. You strategy is your roadmap. It’s how you will get to your destination.
Strategy is what we will talk about on Wednesday. Until then invest in your future by doing the work to turn your dreams into visions. Some of you may just need to revisit your plans to remind yourself why you need to make certain choices. Others you actually need to get started but where ever you are today, you can move a little further with some action!
Finally, I love your comments, but PLEASE post them on the blog so others can learn from your wisdom and insight! We’re a community helping each other reach our goals and living our best life.
Until Wednesday, do something AMAZING!
I hope you had a fantastic weekend! I hope you took some time to relax and enjoy your loved ones, but I also hope you made an investment in yourself by spending time identifying the goals that you plan to accomplish in the next year. If you didn’t…it’s not too late! Maybe you could spend your lunch hour or do it before you go to bed tonight. In case you haven’t figured it out, I’m not going to stop talking to you about setting goals and planning because I believe that God has given you the potential to do amazing things and I want to see you do them! Often we can become so focused on what we have to do today that we forget the importance of planning for the future, but if we fail to plan and act we usually end up with a future that looks very different from what we dream about. So stick with the goal planning and make sure you’re taking action steps!
I know I usually only post twice a week, but I just couldn’t wait to blog again because I love hearing how these convesations are challenging you to be all God created you to be! Having dreams is important, but dreams don’t just become reality. Why? Because nothing just happens! We have to turn our dreams into visions. How do you know when a dream has become a vision? In order for dreams to become visions, it must be accompanied by a “strategy” and a “compelling why”.
Let’s look at the “compelling why” first. It's reason that means so much to you that it empowers you to make the right choices.Have you ever wanted to lose weight, needed to lose weight, but failed to take the necessary actions? The primary reason we fail to act when we know we should is that we don’t have a compelling why. Even if we have research and examples to tell us the danger of carry excess weight, until we develop a reason that is bigger than the food we have to give up, we continue down the same path. No one else can give us that, it must come from within, but once we have it, then the how becomes much easier.
Let me give you an example… Every since my last baby (Canaan) who is 3 now, I’ve said I needed to lose weight, but when it came time to make the choices that would cause me to lose weight, I failed to choose correctly. One day I realized that the choices I was making weren’t positioning me to be healthy and active for my grandchildren. That’s the day I got my compelling why. I don’t want to the grandmother who has to take my grandkids to Disney riding a motorized scooter! I want to be able to play and run with them. Once I got the why, the how because easy. Eat less and move more! That happened in April and since then I’ve lost 30lbs. I’ve still got a ways to go, but because I have a reason that is very important to me, eating right and exercising is not nearly as hard as in the past.
What about you?
Do you have a compelling reason for…
Growing spiritually?
Building healthy relationships?
Losing weight?
Getting in shape?
Becoming debt free?
Establishing a new career?
If not, spend some time thinking about the last question I asked in “What are you planning?” The question is “What do you lose if you don’t change?”
After a compelling why, you need a strategy. A strategy is simply, “specific ways of organizing your resources in order to consistently get a desired result.” Your resources include your time, your talent, God’s Word, your money, your relationship, etc. You strategy is your roadmap. It’s how you will get to your destination.
Strategy is what we will talk about on Wednesday. Until then invest in your future by doing the work to turn your dreams into visions. Some of you may just need to revisit your plans to remind yourself why you need to make certain choices. Others you actually need to get started but where ever you are today, you can move a little further with some action!
Finally, I love your comments, but PLEASE post them on the blog so others can learn from your wisdom and insight! We’re a community helping each other reach our goals and living our best life.
Until Wednesday, do something AMAZING!
Friday, September 25, 2009
What are you planning?
Hey guys,
I hope you are enjoying the blog. I also hope you are using it as a resource to help you live an amazing life because that’s what you were created to do.
There’s an old saying, “If you plan to fail, you fail to plan.” I must admit it took me a little time to accept this as a truth for my life. By nature, I’m kind of a fly by the seat of my pants girl…if you know what I mean! So the thought of actually writing down a plan seemed a little restrictive to me. But after being self reflective, I noticed I wasn’t making any substantial progress in certain areas of my life. The more I read about planning and goal setting, the more clearly I could see that my failure to plan was the reason I was stagnant in those areas.
I decided to take about a month examining every area of my life, creating a vision and developing action steps. These are some of the questions I asked:
These questions helped me develop a vision and a strategic plan to accomplish my goals. I then condensed my goals down into something small enough I could revisit daily.
It’s not enough to want change; we need strategic steps to get there because nothing just happens! Change doesn’t have to take forever, but it must be purposeful. It must be a conscious decision to consistently make quality choices that agree with our goals. Developing a written plan that I revisit often helps me remember why I’m not eating chocolate cake or why I’m not going to the mall with my girlfriends because without a compelling why, we will never follow through on the best laid out plans.
If there are some areas in your life where you’re ready for change, I encourage you to spend some time developing a vision. Don’t just think about it…INK it! Put it in writing!
In my blog, I going to talk about the keys to developing winning strategies, but in the meantime…
Oh yea, don’t forget to share this blog with your friends AND leave your comments…I love hearing from you.
Have a great day!
I hope you are enjoying the blog. I also hope you are using it as a resource to help you live an amazing life because that’s what you were created to do.
There’s an old saying, “If you plan to fail, you fail to plan.” I must admit it took me a little time to accept this as a truth for my life. By nature, I’m kind of a fly by the seat of my pants girl…if you know what I mean! So the thought of actually writing down a plan seemed a little restrictive to me. But after being self reflective, I noticed I wasn’t making any substantial progress in certain areas of my life. The more I read about planning and goal setting, the more clearly I could see that my failure to plan was the reason I was stagnant in those areas.
I decided to take about a month examining every area of my life, creating a vision and developing action steps. These are some of the questions I asked:
1. What do I want my life to look like in 1 year, including health, wealth, relationship and spiritual walk?
2. Where am I now in these areas?
3. What will it take for me to get from where I am currently to where I want to be?
4. What will I gain if I accomplish these goals?
5. What will I lose if I don’t accomplish these goals?
It’s not enough to want change; we need strategic steps to get there because nothing just happens! Change doesn’t have to take forever, but it must be purposeful. It must be a conscious decision to consistently make quality choices that agree with our goals. Developing a written plan that I revisit often helps me remember why I’m not eating chocolate cake or why I’m not going to the mall with my girlfriends because without a compelling why, we will never follow through on the best laid out plans.
If there are some areas in your life where you’re ready for change, I encourage you to spend some time developing a vision. Don’t just think about it…INK it! Put it in writing!
In my blog, I going to talk about the keys to developing winning strategies, but in the meantime…
Let’s do something amazing!
Oh yea, don’t forget to share this blog with your friends AND leave your comments…I love hearing from you.
Have a great day!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
How to eradicate the "Hump" day blues
Today is Wednesday and many people call it “hump” day because it’s the middle of the work week. Typically it’s viewed as the day we must climb over before we can begin to anticipate the weekend. If you view your week from this perspective, I encourage you to consider changing your thinking. Since the weekend is only two days, it’s insane to live for the weekend! I believe the reason so many people can’t wait for the weekend is because they are in jobs that they don’t like. In fact, a recent study revealed that 80% of people hate their jobs! Think about how much time you spend working or preparing to work. If you hate that job, then that obviously has to affect your attitude about life itself because the job consumes so much of your life.
The reality is that most people work for money and that’s ok. But unless I’m mistaken, there’s not a rule book that says, “If you work for money, you must hate what you do.” So if you’re a part of the 80% that hate the work they do….it’s time for a change. Unfortunately change is hard and even when we know we need to change, we still fight it. I guess that’s just a part of human nature, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t change. We just need effective strategies to help us change.
Did you know that …
As a result there are many people who dislike their job, weight or financial situation, but because the situation is manageable, they never take the necessary steps to have what they really desire. Are you one of those people? You know you should get another job, but with the economy the way it is, you’ve decided to just stick it out. Or maybe you thought hating your job was normal because everyone you know feels the same way. Whatever the case, you can change and it starts with a choice.
Take a little time to be reflective about your job. Ask yourself the following questions…
Why don’t I like my job? Does the work leave me unfulfilled? Is it an issue with co-workers or my boss? Am I simply in the wrong line of work?
What would it take to make this job better for me? (If there is nothing that would make the job better, it’s time to move on)
Am I in a field I love, but I’ve allowed my passion to be diminished? For example, do you love teaching, but you’ve allowed all the problems of education to affect your passion for helping others learn?
If I could create my ideal job, what would it look like? What skills do I need to do my ideal job? Do I have them already? If not, how can I acquire them?
Do I love my job but hate my pay? What can I do about that? Does another company pay more?
Is my job affecting my health, my mental state or my relationships?
Am I living for the weekend?
What am I willing to do to change?
All of the questions, along with the others you will think of as you do this exercise, allow you to locate yourself. During this process, you can determine whether you really need a new job or you just need an attitude adjustment.
So how exactly do you adjust your attitude?
1. Recognize the need for an attitude adjustment
2. Make a quality decision to change
3. Develop an attitude of gratitude – Be thankful to have a job. List the things you love about your job and put the list on your work space.
4. Evaluate your relationships- Your environment is always working on you and is always stronger than you. So if you take breaks and lunch with people who hate their job, it will rub off on you.
5. Become accountable to someone – Give someone permission to tell you that you are complaining…again
What if you really do need a new job? Here are some steps for you…
1. Recognize the need for an attitude adjustment – if you have developed an attitude of complaining you will carry it into the perfect job so STOP COMPLAINING and DO SOMETHING!
2. Make a quality decision to do what it takes to find a job you enjoy… even if that means going back to school or applying 1,000 times
3. Develop an attitude of gratitude – Be thankful that you currently have a job even if not ideal at a time when so many are unemployed
4. Decide what you like – Make a list of the skills you have and enjoy using as well as the skills you are willing to develop. You may need to seek the aid of a career counselor to help you pair your skills with the right job.
5. Be consistent – Don’t give up if it doesn’t happen overnight. Commit to changing and stick with it.
6. Remember that even the perfect job will have challenges.
This Wednesday doesn’t have to be just another “Hump” day. It can be the day that you choose to make the necessary adjustments to enjoy your life…even at work. After all if you have to work, you might as well enjoy it, RIGHT!
Have a great Wednesday!
The reality is that most people work for money and that’s ok. But unless I’m mistaken, there’s not a rule book that says, “If you work for money, you must hate what you do.” So if you’re a part of the 80% that hate the work they do….it’s time for a change. Unfortunately change is hard and even when we know we need to change, we still fight it. I guess that’s just a part of human nature, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t change. We just need effective strategies to help us change.
Did you know that …
Most people don’t change until the pain we associate with staying the same becomes greater than the pain we associate with changing.
As a result there are many people who dislike their job, weight or financial situation, but because the situation is manageable, they never take the necessary steps to have what they really desire. Are you one of those people? You know you should get another job, but with the economy the way it is, you’ve decided to just stick it out. Or maybe you thought hating your job was normal because everyone you know feels the same way. Whatever the case, you can change and it starts with a choice.
Take a little time to be reflective about your job. Ask yourself the following questions…
Why don’t I like my job? Does the work leave me unfulfilled? Is it an issue with co-workers or my boss? Am I simply in the wrong line of work?
What would it take to make this job better for me? (If there is nothing that would make the job better, it’s time to move on)
Am I in a field I love, but I’ve allowed my passion to be diminished? For example, do you love teaching, but you’ve allowed all the problems of education to affect your passion for helping others learn?
If I could create my ideal job, what would it look like? What skills do I need to do my ideal job? Do I have them already? If not, how can I acquire them?
Do I love my job but hate my pay? What can I do about that? Does another company pay more?
Is my job affecting my health, my mental state or my relationships?
Am I living for the weekend?
What am I willing to do to change?
All of the questions, along with the others you will think of as you do this exercise, allow you to locate yourself. During this process, you can determine whether you really need a new job or you just need an attitude adjustment.
So how exactly do you adjust your attitude?
1. Recognize the need for an attitude adjustment
2. Make a quality decision to change
3. Develop an attitude of gratitude – Be thankful to have a job. List the things you love about your job and put the list on your work space.
4. Evaluate your relationships- Your environment is always working on you and is always stronger than you. So if you take breaks and lunch with people who hate their job, it will rub off on you.
5. Become accountable to someone – Give someone permission to tell you that you are complaining…again
What if you really do need a new job? Here are some steps for you…
1. Recognize the need for an attitude adjustment – if you have developed an attitude of complaining you will carry it into the perfect job so STOP COMPLAINING and DO SOMETHING!
2. Make a quality decision to do what it takes to find a job you enjoy… even if that means going back to school or applying 1,000 times
3. Develop an attitude of gratitude – Be thankful that you currently have a job even if not ideal at a time when so many are unemployed
4. Decide what you like – Make a list of the skills you have and enjoy using as well as the skills you are willing to develop. You may need to seek the aid of a career counselor to help you pair your skills with the right job.
5. Be consistent – Don’t give up if it doesn’t happen overnight. Commit to changing and stick with it.
6. Remember that even the perfect job will have challenges.
This Wednesday doesn’t have to be just another “Hump” day. It can be the day that you choose to make the necessary adjustments to enjoy your life…even at work. After all if you have to work, you might as well enjoy it, RIGHT!
Have a great Wednesday!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Please respond.
Several people told me they didn't get their blog today. If you receive this email, please go to the blog and leave a comment. I'm working with the Blogger staff to work out the kinks. Thanks
Do something amazing!
Shun
Do something amazing!
Shun
You were not built to break
As I watched Whitney Houston's interview and performance on Oprah, I was reminded of the tremendous power God has placed within the human spirit. I thought of all the times, the media and the public predicted that it was over for Whitney. The world had given up on her, counted her as another celebrity who self destructs. Listening to her, it's apparent that even at times she too thought that her best days were behind. Whitney was in a destructive relationship which was made worse by her drug use. It's not to find someone attempting to cover the pain with drugs, but unlike many who struggle with those issues, she went through those challenges publically. Not only did she have to deal with opinions of her friends, family and casual acquaintances (most of us), she had the world watching her and critiquing as well. Now if you've ever had something crazy going on in your life (I'm sure you have) you know it can be difficult enough when just those who care about you know about it. Can you imagine having the press and people who don't even know you adding commentary? That might make each of us look for some form of escape even if not drugs. I think food would be my drug.
In the midst of the all craziness, Whitney refused to stop fighting. At first she fought for her marriage, but finally she fought for herself and her daughter. She wanted to leave, but she didn't think she had the strength to walk away. So she cried out to God, asking Him for just enough courage to leave. She found the strength and walked away, but the strength didn't come from outside forces. The virtue Whitney needed to change her life was there all the time, placed in her by a loving Creator who knew that with life comes challenges and she would need the courage and power to overcome. That strength is not reserved for Whitney alone. It's in resides in of us waiting to be activated by our choice to change, our refusal to continue to tolerate where we currently are.
Many of us tend to look outside for helping. We hope for the posse to ride in just before the big shoot out and rescue us. We are often disappointed when no rescue team arrives. We tend to feel abandoned or rejected by God. Like Whitney, we must learn that the emanicpation comes from within. It comes from a realization that we were created for more and that we don't deserve to be stuck in a life that destroys the core of who we are. Whitney's song, "I didn't know my strength" should serve as an anthem and a wakeup call to every one of us who feel to powerless or too weak to change our situation. The lyrics remind us that that we were not built to break and that we have the power to change even when we think we can't. I LOVE THIS SONG!
My favorite line is "I was not built to break, no, no, I got to know my own strength."
Not one of us was built to break under the pressures of life. We engineered to not only survive under pressure, but emerge stronger and more confident in our God and who we are in Him. But often we forget this is the heat of the battle and we allow our circumstances to deceive is into believing that we are victims. The dictionary defines a victim as "a person who is deceived or cheated, as by his or her own emotions or ignorance..."
We only become victims when we allow our own emotions or ignorance to deceive of us of the reality of who we really are. Who are we? "...in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Romans 8:37. We are conquerors, victors, champions and overcomers! That's who you were designed to be! A conqueror is a person who gains victory over "something" through personal effort...vigorous action.
So in other words...Nothing just happens. Even though you were create to overcome the challenges of life and that is God's will for your life, unless you believe it and act on it, the reality of it will elude you. Consider Whitney as much as she wanted to be free from that dark place in her life, nothing happened until she begin to move in her own strength by making a choice to change. When Whitney did what she could do for herself, God did what she couldn't do. The same is true for each of us. God will speak to us. He will send others to encourage and remind us who really are, but ultimately we have to choose to believe in the power in us to make a change. Once we begin to act, His supernatural ability will kick in where our natural ability is not enough to cause us to win.
I don't know where you are in your life right now. Maybe like Whitney you need to leave a dysfunctional relationship or break the addiction of drugs. Maybe you need to go back to school, start a business or lose a little weight. Maybe you want to act, model or become the next Oprah. Whatever your dream is...you can do it. It doesn't matter where you are today, how grim the situation seems, I want to encourage you to trust God and have confidence in who you are. You are a woman designed and engineered for victory. Like Whitney, it's time for you to know that you are not built to break!
Let's do something amazing!
Shun
P.S. I've provided a link to Whitney's website. I encourage you to listen to "I don't know my own strength." I'm certain it will encourage you as it did me! http://www.whitneyhouston.com/us/music/i-look-you
In the midst of the all craziness, Whitney refused to stop fighting. At first she fought for her marriage, but finally she fought for herself and her daughter. She wanted to leave, but she didn't think she had the strength to walk away. So she cried out to God, asking Him for just enough courage to leave. She found the strength and walked away, but the strength didn't come from outside forces. The virtue Whitney needed to change her life was there all the time, placed in her by a loving Creator who knew that with life comes challenges and she would need the courage and power to overcome. That strength is not reserved for Whitney alone. It's in resides in of us waiting to be activated by our choice to change, our refusal to continue to tolerate where we currently are.
Many of us tend to look outside for helping. We hope for the posse to ride in just before the big shoot out and rescue us. We are often disappointed when no rescue team arrives. We tend to feel abandoned or rejected by God. Like Whitney, we must learn that the emanicpation comes from within. It comes from a realization that we were created for more and that we don't deserve to be stuck in a life that destroys the core of who we are. Whitney's song, "I didn't know my strength" should serve as an anthem and a wakeup call to every one of us who feel to powerless or too weak to change our situation. The lyrics remind us that that we were not built to break and that we have the power to change even when we think we can't. I LOVE THIS SONG!
My favorite line is "I was not built to break, no, no, I got to know my own strength."
Not one of us was built to break under the pressures of life. We engineered to not only survive under pressure, but emerge stronger and more confident in our God and who we are in Him. But often we forget this is the heat of the battle and we allow our circumstances to deceive is into believing that we are victims. The dictionary defines a victim as "a person who is deceived or cheated, as by his or her own emotions or ignorance..."
We only become victims when we allow our own emotions or ignorance to deceive of us of the reality of who we really are. Who are we? "...in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." Romans 8:37. We are conquerors, victors, champions and overcomers! That's who you were designed to be! A conqueror is a person who gains victory over "something" through personal effort...vigorous action.
So in other words...Nothing just happens. Even though you were create to overcome the challenges of life and that is God's will for your life, unless you believe it and act on it, the reality of it will elude you. Consider Whitney as much as she wanted to be free from that dark place in her life, nothing happened until she begin to move in her own strength by making a choice to change. When Whitney did what she could do for herself, God did what she couldn't do. The same is true for each of us. God will speak to us. He will send others to encourage and remind us who really are, but ultimately we have to choose to believe in the power in us to make a change. Once we begin to act, His supernatural ability will kick in where our natural ability is not enough to cause us to win.
I don't know where you are in your life right now. Maybe like Whitney you need to leave a dysfunctional relationship or break the addiction of drugs. Maybe you need to go back to school, start a business or lose a little weight. Maybe you want to act, model or become the next Oprah. Whatever your dream is...you can do it. It doesn't matter where you are today, how grim the situation seems, I want to encourage you to trust God and have confidence in who you are. You are a woman designed and engineered for victory. Like Whitney, it's time for you to know that you are not built to break!
Let's do something amazing!
Shun
P.S. I've provided a link to Whitney's website. I encourage you to listen to "I don't know my own strength." I'm certain it will encourage you as it did me! http://www.whitneyhouston.com/us/music/i-look-you
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Are you a mean Christian?
I spend a lot of time talking to people who haven't given their lives to Christ or people who have walked away from the church. In most of those cases, those people have rejected Christ not because they have an issue with Christ himself, but because they have an issue with those represent him. Do you know why that is? Cause church folks can be so mean!
For example if someone "from the world" comes to church why would we talk about what they wear? Of course they wear party clothes that's the life they live! If you care, then buy them something else. Otherwise, be quiet and let the Holy Spirit do His job which is change people from inside out.
God is love. He loves people even before they accept Him...that's why He sent Jesus. He knows that we aren't perfect, nor does He expect perfection from us. At least not perfection in the sense that we never make a mistake or sin. IF it was that easy, there would not have been a need for Jesus to die on the Cross...we could have just choosen perfection. Now that's not a license to do whatever I like b/c like the Apostel Paul said we should be "constrained by the love of God."
For the record...love doesn't go around pointing out people's faults...looking for every opportunity to tell them how much they've sinned. Love doesn't keep record of wrongs. Love believes the best about people. Love isn't always talking about hell. Speaking of which...I believe there is a heaven and a hell, but when I read about how Jesus and the disciples lead people into the kingdom, they never mentioned hell. So it's interesting to me that most calls to salvation inside and outside the church talk about hell.
When Jesus met the woman at the well, he didn't say, "Look you're a whore and if you don't change you're going to hell." Why not? He knew that if He could show her the love of God, she would come to him and HE could deliver her from the bondage of whoredom." Same for calling in the disciples...he doesn't tell them about hell if they don't follow him...so why in the world do Christians keep trying to scare people out of hell into the kingdom?
Am I the only one who has the experience of coming to Jesus because I'm scared to death of going to hell? Over time the fear leaves and the feelings that I was never going to be able to stop sinning so I was going to hell anyway caused me to just walk away from church. It wasn't until I learned the love of God and that he wasn't sitting in the sky with a big button waiting to sin me to hell that I was able to continue walking with him.
Between church people talking about hell and being mean as, well you know what fits there, why would anyone want to be a Christian? Even as a pastor, I can honestly tell you that most of the stuff I hear people say about the kingdom doesn't make me want to join. And then when you combine that with a group of people who say they know Jesus, but spend all their time pointing out your faults....is it any wonder people are rejecting Christ?
So what can we do? We can remember that people who are sinners SIN and even people who love God still sin until they are renewed in their minds so we ask God to show us people as HE SEES THEM not as they are. We can remember that no one is perfect and we all have shortcomings and we can treat people the way we want to be treated when and if we blow it. We can stop gossiping about the mistakes people make while pretending we are just telling to pray about it. We can take a new believer or a struggling believer under our wing and spend time "modeling" what love, holiness and integrity look like. We can be compassionate and empathetic remembering that whatever we've been delivered from...is because of grace...because of love.
My challenge to every believer is that we put judgment down and pick up love and grace. When we have to point out someone's sin, we do it from a place of true love and concern and a desire to see them be free...not a reminder that hell waits on the edges if they don't change. That we remember that NO ONE is perfect and that we all have things we are working on, but it doesn't mean we don't love God...we're just growing up in Christ. When we have an opportunity to lead people to Christ, we model Jesus lead them into a kingdom of love....
For example if someone "from the world" comes to church why would we talk about what they wear? Of course they wear party clothes that's the life they live! If you care, then buy them something else. Otherwise, be quiet and let the Holy Spirit do His job which is change people from inside out.
God is love. He loves people even before they accept Him...that's why He sent Jesus. He knows that we aren't perfect, nor does He expect perfection from us. At least not perfection in the sense that we never make a mistake or sin. IF it was that easy, there would not have been a need for Jesus to die on the Cross...we could have just choosen perfection. Now that's not a license to do whatever I like b/c like the Apostel Paul said we should be "constrained by the love of God."
For the record...love doesn't go around pointing out people's faults...looking for every opportunity to tell them how much they've sinned. Love doesn't keep record of wrongs. Love believes the best about people. Love isn't always talking about hell. Speaking of which...I believe there is a heaven and a hell, but when I read about how Jesus and the disciples lead people into the kingdom, they never mentioned hell. So it's interesting to me that most calls to salvation inside and outside the church talk about hell.
When Jesus met the woman at the well, he didn't say, "Look you're a whore and if you don't change you're going to hell." Why not? He knew that if He could show her the love of God, she would come to him and HE could deliver her from the bondage of whoredom." Same for calling in the disciples...he doesn't tell them about hell if they don't follow him...so why in the world do Christians keep trying to scare people out of hell into the kingdom?
Am I the only one who has the experience of coming to Jesus because I'm scared to death of going to hell? Over time the fear leaves and the feelings that I was never going to be able to stop sinning so I was going to hell anyway caused me to just walk away from church. It wasn't until I learned the love of God and that he wasn't sitting in the sky with a big button waiting to sin me to hell that I was able to continue walking with him.
Between church people talking about hell and being mean as, well you know what fits there, why would anyone want to be a Christian? Even as a pastor, I can honestly tell you that most of the stuff I hear people say about the kingdom doesn't make me want to join. And then when you combine that with a group of people who say they know Jesus, but spend all their time pointing out your faults....is it any wonder people are rejecting Christ?
So what can we do? We can remember that people who are sinners SIN and even people who love God still sin until they are renewed in their minds so we ask God to show us people as HE SEES THEM not as they are. We can remember that no one is perfect and we all have shortcomings and we can treat people the way we want to be treated when and if we blow it. We can stop gossiping about the mistakes people make while pretending we are just telling to pray about it. We can take a new believer or a struggling believer under our wing and spend time "modeling" what love, holiness and integrity look like. We can be compassionate and empathetic remembering that whatever we've been delivered from...is because of grace...because of love.
My challenge to every believer is that we put judgment down and pick up love and grace. When we have to point out someone's sin, we do it from a place of true love and concern and a desire to see them be free...not a reminder that hell waits on the edges if they don't change. That we remember that NO ONE is perfect and that we all have things we are working on, but it doesn't mean we don't love God...we're just growing up in Christ. When we have an opportunity to lead people to Christ, we model Jesus lead them into a kingdom of love....
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Create the Life you want
It seems as though I'm always thinking about thinking ... mainly because I understand that my thinking controls every area of my life. I know from past experiences that trying to change areas of my life without changing my thinking only produces a temporary change. Before long I revert back to my previous behavior. Why is this? Because for the most part our thinking is set on auto pilot. We just cruise along at the same altitude until we hit a little turbulence that cause us to adjust, but just like the auto pilot, once we have navigated the storm we return to our programed altitude. Often our desire to change comes from a crisis. For example, we when we get our paycheck and it's not enough to pay our bills, we talk about getting another job and promise to do something different, but once we pass through the storm we settle back into auto pilot. We do the same with our health, our relationships and dreams. We know we want more, we know God has created us for more, but yet we stay in the comfort of auto pilot. Why? Because even though we want change, we haven't done the work to produce change where it matters most...in our thinking. As a result, we continue to repeat the same cycle expecting a different outcome, even though we know it's insanity. We offer up so many excuses as to why we don't change, but in reality all those excuses cover up the real thing holding us back ... fear!
"Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'who am I to be so brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?' Actually, who are we not to be? You are a child of God: Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." Nelson Mandela receives the credit for saying this, but he was actually quoting Mariam Williamson. In the end it doesn't really matter who said it first, it's true.
Fear causes us to accept just existing rather than living which is so far beneath the abundant life God created for us. Fear causes us to refuse to allow the God given dreams in us to become the reality we live! Fear causes us to be more comfortable with things that we should never tolerate. Fear controls our thinkink causing us to place and accept limitations as normal living. We get so focused on how hard it is to return to school that we can't even envision oursleves with the degree in hand. Our fear keeps us from seeing that millions of others have overcome the same issue...not because they are favored or more blessed, but because they eradicated the fear by dealing with their thinking. They disproved the lies established by fear by taking consistent counter actions to their fears.If others have overcome fear to achieve their goals, then I can...you can. But the first step is deal with our thinking.
Here are four things we must do to change our thinking so that we can live abundantly
1) Locate ourselves - How do we think? Spend time thinking about our thinking. Why did I respond that way? Am I limited myself? Why do I procastinate?
2) Make a Commit to Change - We must make a quality decision that enough is enough and that we are willing to do the work necessary to produce the change we desire.
3) Surround ourselves with successful others - Our environment is always working on us so the best thing we can do is surround ourselves with others who are also committed to living abundantly
4) Develop successful systems - We need plans to make our dreams come true. Nothing just happens. If the goal is weight loss, then let's plan our meals and schedule our workout time...it won't happen if we don't. If we're going to start a business, carve out time to work on the business plan and teach others in your life to respect that time. If the goal is to grow spiritually, then make bible reading and church attendance a priority and don't read your bible when you're sleepy...you know you are going to fall asleep.
5) Do all you can and trust God to do what you can't. God wants you to succeed way more than you do. He's given you everything you need to be successful, however, He needs you to do your part. When you have done the natural...you can expect the supernatural.Each of us is here on purpose for a purpose. Our lives are more than being consumed with uninspiring activities and reality tv. Let's be the best we can be, make a difference in our lives, those we love and the world!
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